Avengers: Infinity War To Get Possible Thanos Extended Cut

Avengers: Infinity War may get an extended cut on home video that will include more of Thanos' backstory. One of the biggest checkpoints Infinity War had to nail was bringing Thanos to the big screen. He may have had brief appearances in other films, but this was the movie that was tasked with showing him as a threat. In order to do so, directors Joe and Anthony Russo put Thanos at the center, often calling him the main character of the film. It appears to have been the right call, as Thanos is arguably the MCU's best villain.

Josh Brolin's performance helped make this possible, but the writing, directing, and overall story were also key. If there was a common complaint about the Mad Titan, it was that some wish they got even more of him - or even a Thanos solo film first. It appears including more of his backstory was once part of the plan, and a special cut could bring it back into Infinity War.

Collider's Jon Schnepp moderated a panel at Las Vegas Comic Con that hosted Thanos creator Jim Starlin. During the panel, Starlin apparently revealed some major details about Avengers: Infinity War. The comic creator said that there is an extra 30 minutes of Thanos footage from Infinity War that was cut. The scenes reportedly are primarily of Thanos' backstory. If his info is correct, fans will be able to see all of the footage as part of a special/extended cut of Infinity War that is going to be released. Starlin didn't say how or when this cut will come, though.

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Even though Starlin was somewhat in the know with Infinity War, he isn't directly involved with these types of decisions. Because of that, talks of an extended cut should be taken with a grain of salt for now. Marvel Studios has never released an extended/special/director cut of a film before, but Infinity War is a film unlike anything else. The special occasion (and the 10th anniversary of the MCU) could be enough to bring out even more footage from Infinity War.

If this is something Marvel is planning, the questions become how, when, and where it will release? Marvel Studios doesn't have a movie hitting theaters after this weekend's Ant-Man and The Wasp until March 2019. If they really wanted to get the most out of this, a limited re-release in the fall that features the bonus 30 minutes could be huge. The actual Blu-ray for the movie is coming in August, so Marvel could do the regular home release, then bring the film back to theaters with extra footage, and then release a specialty Blu-ray for the holiday season.

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Regardless of how or when the cut is released, there's still the question of what it would contain. Thanos' backstory is incredibly vague and there are a few areas regarding his time on Titan that could be further explored. VFX supervisor Matt Aitken previously told Screen Rant about an extended sequence of Thanos' life on Titan. This scene and others like it are likely among the 30 minutes that could be brought back. Additionally, the conquest of Xandar could be an option, as well as perhaps even more Nebula and Gamora scenes. Hopefully, Starlin is correct and a 3-hour cut of Avengers:Infinity War is on the way.